


Sign

by ohsehunseoul



Category: EXO (Band)
Genre: Father Jongin, Jongin has a daughter, M/M, Teacher Kyungsoo
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-12-26
Updated: 2018-12-26
Packaged: 2019-09-28 05:04:00
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,069
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17176427
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ohsehunseoul/pseuds/ohsehunseoul
Summary: Kyungsoo landed his ideal job in his dream destination on a whim. He didn't think things could get any better until he met the young father that was seated next to him. His young daughter was pretty cute, too.





	Sign

**Author's Note:**

> This was prompt 54 for the Our Love as One fest! Thank you to the prompter and the mods of the fest!

It was bittersweet for Kyungsoo, having to go back to Seoul. Despite being able to see his friends and family when he went back home, the feeling was still bittersweet. Japan felt like his home and, finally, it would be. The trip he took to Osaka three months earlier landed him in a hole-in-the-wall noodle restaurant, sat next to a middle-aged woman with golden-colored hair. Somehow, they began to talk and Kyungsoo found out she was the principal of Osaka Elementary, one of the most prestigious schools in all of Japan. Kyungsoo later shared with the principal that he was a teacher in Korea and they instantly bonded. So much so, that he was offered a job teaching the kindergarten students at Osaka Elementary and Kyungsoo instantly accepted. It wasn’t that he didn’t enjoy teaching his high school students, quite the opposite, but it felt like fate when he was offered a job in his dream destination.

 

Kyungsoo waved goodbye to Japan once more before he got onto the plane to go back to Korea. He used his mileage points to get to the front of the line, so he wouldn’t have to worry about being stuck at the end of the line. There was something unpleasant about squeezing through the aisles while the other passengers watched. Last time he was on a plane, he felt guilty not letting the old woman behind him in front, like he usually did. Karma must have not been on his side, as said woman wound up being his seat-mate. Well, more so that she took his seat and he ended up in the aisle seat with a stiff neck. So much for speaking his mind like he said he would start doing.

Kyungsoo found his seat near the back of the plane, his personal favorite spot to sit. He shimmied past the first two seats and placed his maroon backpack under the seat in front of him before he sat down with a sigh. 

Kyungsoo looked out of the window, catching his reflection as he did so. He brushed his dark locks down where they were sticking up and leaned back in his seat. He still wasn’t used to his haircut; not after his friend, Yuta, convinced him to shave the sides and dye it brown three days ago. It was a big difference from his naturally raven-colored hair, but it grew on him.

He was taken away from his thoughts when he felt a thud on the seat behind him. When he turned to give the person behind him a stern look-over, he was caught off-guard by the individual placing a suitcase in the compartment above his row. Ebony-colored hair, that hung dangerously close to the stranger’s eyes, and a defined jawline greeted him. The male was tall, lean, and ethereal, for the lack of a better word. He had kind eyes and was smiling to himself when he effortlessly put the suitcase up with one hand. His other arm was occupied by a small child, presumably no more than two years old. She had, presumably, her father’s eyes and equally dark hair, contrasted by her pale skin.

The stranger’s phone rang, causing him to quickly close the compartment above him and set the child in his arms in the seat next to Kyungsoo. He pulled his phone out of his pocket and held it to his ear. Using his free hand, he shrugged off his backpack and fished for something inside of it.

The little girl sat calmly and quietly in the seat the male placed her in, glancing to her right to look out the window and, eventually, at Kyungsoo.

When she locked eyes with the teacher, her small smile turned into an all-out grin. Kyungsoo smiled back equally as wide and offered her a small wave with his index and middle finger joined together. She shifted closer to the armrest and put her small hands on it, hovering into Kyungsoo’s personal space, which Kyungsoo didn’t mind one bit.

“Hello there.” Kyungsoo said, resting his hands in his lap. “What’s your name?”

“Jee…” The little girl babbled, reaching out to put her smaller hand over Kyungsoo’s. “Jee!” He couldn’t decipher what babble came after that.

“Jee? Well, hello, Jee.” Kyungsoo beamed. “You look very pretty. I like your dress; purple is my favorite color.”

Incoherent babbling plus the little girl climbing over the armrest and onto Kyungsoo’s lap made him chuckle. She was a very animated child, he had to admit.

“Oh my God, I’m so sorry.” Kyungsoo heard a much deeper voice say. His chestnut-colored eyes looked up to meet caramel-colored ones. “That was an important call and I should have been paying more attention. She can be a little friendly.”

The male put his backpack under the seat next to Kyungsoo and sat down before taking the child off of Kyungsoo and putting her on his lap.

“It’s not a problem at all. She’s too cute. I’m a teacher and my first job was working in a daycare. She’s tame compared to those kids.” Kyungsoo smiled fondly at the child.

The handsome stranger threw his head back and chuckled. “I hear you on that. Kids are a handful.”

“Adorable, though.” Kyungsoo winked at the child. “She kept saying ‘Jee’, is that her name, or at least some semblance of her name?”

“Her name is Jimin. She’s learning.” Jongin pat Jimin on the head. Kyungsoo watched her try to sit up so she could throw her little arms around her father’s neck.

“How old is she?” Kyungsoo asked. “I’m guessing around a year and a half?”

“Pretty much! She’s a year and eight months.” Jongin responded. “Don’t worry, I’m not that dad that goes by months. I knew some lady who had a three-year-old. She didn’t call him three though, she called him thirty-six months.”

“Ah, the classic ‘I-don’t-want-my-child-to-grow-up scenario.” Kyungsoo put a finger up to his chin in contemplation.

The two fell into a comfortable silence while the stewardess instructed how to buckle the seatbelt and  how to use the cushions as flotation devices.

When she was done, Jongin shyly glanced over to Kyungsoo. He examined the other’s profile, taking in his handsome, yet intimidating features, combined with large eyes and thick lips.

“So,” Kyungsoo turned to Jongin, causing the father to turn away quickly, “How did you know I was Korean? You spoke to me in Korean.”

“Lucky guess. It was either that or Japanese. Luckily, I speak both, huh?” Jongin said, adjusting his sleeping child in his lap.

“I speak both too.” Kyungsoo smiled. “I am Korean, though. I grew up always wanting to live in Japan, so I learned the language.”

“So, you live in Korea? Were you visiting then?” Jongin questioned, interested in what the other had to say.

“I was.” Kyungsoo nodded. “Except, I guess I’m moving to Osaka now. I accepted a job offer.”

“Really?” Jongin’s eyes widened in surprise. “Congratulations! That’s amazing.”

“Thank you.” Kyungsoo responded. “What about you? Do you live in Korea?”

“I live in Osaka, oddly enough. It’s kind of my special place. I moved to Japan about a year and a half ago, after this little one was born.” Jongin nodded down at Jimin. “I’m just visiting Seoul for a bit to see my parents.”

“I feel the same way, about Osaka.” Kyungsoo said.

The pilot came over the intercom, taking the two out of their conversation. The seat next to Jongin was still unoccupied, luckily for him in case Jimin needed to rest more. They exchanged small smiles until the plane was up in the air and the sign indicating they could unbuckle went on.

“I guess since we’re partners,” Kyungsoo started, “Seat partners, that is, would you mind telling me about yourself?”

“Sure.” Jongin grinned. “Well, I graduated from SNU three years ago as a dance major and started working as a dance instructor. Eventually, I got recruited by some independent artists to help them with choreography and work as a background dancer and I’ve been doing that ever since. Now that I have her, I’m more of a stay at home father. I still work because someone has to pay for the bills, but I usually have to get her a sitter those days.” He laughed to himself. “Anyway, enough about me, what about you? I just realized I don’t even know your name.”

“My name is Kyungsoo. Do Kyungsoo.” Kyungsoo stuck out his hand. Jongin used his free hand to take Kyungsoo’s in his.

“I’m Kim Jongin.” Jongin released his hand after shaking Kyungsoo’s. “So, tell me, Kyungsoo. Who are you?”

“You already know I’m a teacher. I graduated a year before you from University of Seoul. I’m twenty-five and I spend my spare time cooking and singing sometimes. I have a dog named Meokmul, he’s really cute.” Kyungsoo pulled his phone out of his pocket to show Jongin his wallpaper of his dog.

“I would pull out my phone, but I don’t want to wake up my girl.” Jongin said. “I have three dogs and they’re a handful.”

The duo was so immersed in their conversation, that they didn’t hear the stewardess approach them with the snack cart.

“Sorry to bother you, gentleman.” The redhead woman with a friendly smile said. “Can I get any of you something to drink? Maybe a snack for your baby? She’s adorable by the way. You two make a good couple.”

Jongin’s eyes shot over to Kyungsoo’s, whose cheeks reddened at the comment.

“Couple?” Kyungsoo questioned.

The woman smiled broadly, eyes crinkling into crescents. “It’s okay, I don’t think that relationships need to only be in between a man or a woman.” She said. “Married couples are getting complimentary champagne. Let me go bring some over for you two.” She paused. “And a juice box for your sweetheart.”

“We aren’t married,” Kyungsoo said, though the woman was now in a conversation with the passengers behind them, “He has a child and a wife.”

The pink tinge on Jongin’s cheeks remained as he continued looking at Kyungsoo. “I’m not married, Kyungsoo.”

Kyungsoo sent an apologetic look to the younger. “I’m sorry, I just assumed. There is nothing wrong with having children while you’re not married. I’m sorry it came off that way.”

Jongin continued to chuckle. “I guess I should explain myself further. I’m not married, nor am I in a relationship. This one,” Jongin kissed the top of Jimin’s head, “Is all mine. I mean, of course she has a mother, but she isn’t in the picture. Jimin’s mother moved to the United States to live with her fiancée. Her and I had a drunken night together because I was in denial about some things about myself. I was too afraid to be myself, so I tried being with her, and didn’t like it. I found out after that she was pregnant and also had a boyfriend not long after.”  Jongin backtracked when he saw the expression on Kyungsoo’s face. “Sorry, that was a lot of information.”

Kyungsoo waved his hands to indicate it was okay. “Not at all, I just didn’t know what to say except that I’m sorry that happened to you. You’re a wonderful father to her. She doesn’t need a mother if she has someone as caring as you. Plus, even if you found someone in the future that could be a mother figure to her, you would still have done this all on your own. Kids aren’t easy to take care of at that age.”

Jongin attractively ran a hand through his hair. “I don’t think she’s going to find a mother figure.”

“What do you mean?” Kyungsoo asked, trying to process the father’s words. “You aren’t interested in a relationship?”

“It’s not that at all.” Jongin shook his head. “It’s the ‘mother’ thing, or wife in my case.”

When he tested Kyungsoo’s expression and saw that the older still didn’t understand, Jongin lightly sighed. “I prefer men.”

Kyungsoo’s mouth formed into an ‘o’ shape. “I see.”

“Sorry.” Jongin sheepishly said. “I know, it’s weird. Just pretend I didn’t say it.”

“Here you are, gentleman.” The stewardess came back with two champagne flutes filled with a bubbly honey-colored liquid. She set them on the tables in front of them, and a juice box with an apple on it. She went back to the cart and set a packet of biscuits on the table, putting a finger up to her lips.

“It’s for your little girl. Don’t tell, okay?” She grinned. “My name is Yuka if you need anything else.”

Kyungsoo smiled to her in thanks and Jongin nodded.

Quick to change the subject, Jongin took a long drink of his champagne and set it down, making a face at the flavor.

“So,” He said through a cough, “Jeez, that is horrible. Anyway, what about you? Are you married?”

“Me?” Kyungsoo laughed, putting a hand to his chest. “No. I actually recently got out of a relationship. He moved back to China and didn’t want to do long distance. We’re still friends, though.”

Jongin grinned to himself. “I thought you were mad at me for my sexual preferences.”

“Oh no, not at all.” Kyungsoo ran his index finger around the rim of the flute. “I was going to say something and then,” He leaned closer to Jongin to whisper, “This lady behind me kicked my seat. That’s the third time in the span of ten minutes.”

“Too bad Jimin isn’t a baby that cries a lot, otherwise I’d unleash her on the lady. We’d show her.” Jongin winked.

“My hero.” Kyungsoo smirked, taking a drink of the champagne. “You’re right about the champagne, it burns. I feel like I just drank paint thinner.”

“It probably is.” Jongin said before he felt Jimin stir on his chest. Slowly, she opened her eyes and looked up at her father.

“Hi, baby.” Jongin smiled broadly at his child. “You want some apple juice? A nice lady brought some over for you. And look,” Jongin pointed at the bag of biscuits, “Anpanman cookies! You love him, don’t you?”

Jimin nodded her head furiously, sitting up from Jongin’s lap to reposition herself so she was facing the front of the plane. She reached her small hands out for the sealed bag.

Kyungsoo immediately picked them up and pulled down the perforation to open it for Jimin. He held the bag next to her, so she could pick out the cookies she wanted, using his free hand to put the straw into the juice box.

“Thank you.” Jongin mouthed to Kyungsoo.

After Jimin had two cookies and got crumbs all over her father’s lap, she crawled over the armrest and onto Kyungsoo’s lap.

“There she goes again.” Jongin had his hand cupped to the side of his leg as he brushed the crumbs into it. “I’ll get her in a second.”

“Don’t worry about it.” Kyungsoo said. “I don’t mind, really. You can relax.”

Jimin stood eye-level to Kyungsoo on his lap and squeezed his cheeks in between her palms, mumbling incoherent words to him.

“Thank you.” Jongin put the crumbs into a napkin before crumbling it up. He pulled his phone out of his pocket to finally show Kyungsoo his dogs, only to frown at the screen.

“Are you okay?” Kyungsoo asked through squeezed cheeks.

Jongin chuckled when he looked up from his phone to see Kyungsoo’s expression. “Yeah. Jimin’s mother reached out to me out of the blue and she’s asking me for money.”

Kyungsoo quirked a brow. “Asking you for money? She has no right to do that.”

“I know.” Jongin set his phone on the table. “She’s not a good person, but she knows she can take advantage of me. She wants no part of our child’s life, yet she asks for money to buy designer purses.”

Jimin laid horizontally on Kyungsoo’s lap, reaching out her hands to find her father’s own hands from the other seat.

“She sounds…lovely.” Kyungsoo lied.

“She is.” Jongin rolled his eyes. “To top it all off on things not going my way, my friend is taking care of my dogs while I’m in Seoul and he brought his dog over with him to my place. Don’t get me wrong, I love Vivi, but that dog is a menace. Last time, he took one of my stuffed animals and destroyed him.” The younger cutely frowned.

“Wait, did you say Vivi?” Kyungsoo asked. “Your friend wouldn’t be named Sehun, would he?”

“You know Sehun?” Jongin sat up straighter in his seat. “Oh Sehun?”

Kyungsoo nodded. “Yeah! He’s actually a really good friend of mine. He and his partner were my next-door neighbors in Seoul until they moved to Japan because his husband got a job there. We met on a blind date and turned out to be better friends than boyfriends.”

“That’s crazy!” Jongin laughed. “What a small world, huh? I met Sehun through Zitao because he is the other instructor at the studio I sometimes teach dance classes in.”

“This is too much of a coincidence.” Kyungsoo reached for the bag of biscuits for Jimin. “They’re good guys.”

“Agreed.” Jongin plucked a biscuit from the bag.

“Also, did you say that Vivi tore up one of your plushies; not Jimin’s?” Kyungsoo grinned at the shade of red Jongin’s ears changed to.

“Maybe.” Jongin bit off part of the cookie. “I collect bear plushies, okay? I’m only twenty-four, don’t shame me.”

“I’m not!” Kyungsoo held up his hands in defense. “It’s cute, actually.”

“I’m glad the fact that a grown man collects plushies is cute to you.” Jongin playfully sneered before popping the rest of the cookie in his mouth.

“It’s not that.” Kyungsoo said. “You’re cute in general.” He quickly changed the subject to avoid embarrassment. “Anyway, are you going to show me a picture of your dogs, or what?”

Jongin tried to sputter out words, only to nearly choke on the cookie pieces and having to wash it down with the champagne. “The dogs, right…”

……

Kyungsoo didn’t know how, but somehow the flight flew by, literally, when he was talking to Jongin. One moment Jongin was showing him a picture of Jimin on her first birthday and the next the pilot was telling them to close the tables for landing.

Jimin remained in Kyungsoo’s lap, having fallen asleep with a smile on her face, nestling her small head further into the fabric of Kyungsoo’s sweater.

Jongin eyed his daughter fondly before discreetly looking at his seat-mate. He buckled himself back in to prepare for landing.

Once they were successfully on the ground, the people around them anxiously got out of their seats and grabbed their luggage to hurry off the plane.

“Let me move her, so you can get off of the plane.” Jongin picked Jimin up and cradled her to his chest. “I usually wait until everyone else is off, so no one bumps into her.”

“I don’t mind waiting with you.” Kyungsoo pat Jongin’s thigh reassuringly. “It’s not a problem, really.”

Jongin grinned and bashfully looked to the ground. “Thanks.”

Once everyone was off of the plane, Jongin stood up to let Kyungsoo out. Kyungsoo took his backpack and threw it over his shoulder, before taking Jongin’s and putting it over one of his shoulders for him.

He squeezed past the younger and reached as high as he could to take out the luggage for Jongin.

“Okay,” Kyungsoo said as the luggage nearly knocked him over, “You have your height as your advantage, so don’t make fun of me for nearly dropping that.”

“I didn’t say anything.” Jongin’s hand grazed Kyungsoo’s shoulder.

Without thinking, Kyungsoo took the handle for the luggage and rolled it out of the plane for Jongin.

Jongin didn’t argue, he liked having Kyungsoo with him and wanted to prolong the time they spent together as much as possible.

“Have a great day!” The same stewardess from earlier, Yuta, said. She waved at Jimin, who was looking at her, and the child smiled before hiding her face in her father’s chest.

“You too!” Kyungsoo half-waved before exiting the plane.

Jongin and Kyungsoo walked together, idle chatter filling the space between them.

When they got to the pick-up, Kyungsoo set down Jongin’s luggage next to him, while he waited for a taxi to approach.

“Oh, you never told me where you got your job. If you don’t mind me asking, that is.” Jongin switched the arm he was bracing Jimin with.

“Osaka Elementary for the kindergarten class. I will also be doing some babysitting at the school for children a little too young to start school just yet.” Kyungsoo said.

“Osaka Elementary, really?” Jongin grinned. “That is a fantastic school. I don’t know if you saw the dance studio that is across the street, but that is where I sometimes instruct. I live less than ten minutes from it, so it’s convenient.”

“Wow, we’ll definitely see each other around then, won’t we?” Kyungsoo felt smitten with the scenario that was playing in his mind.

“Definitely.” Jongin repeated. “Now that I know there’s a very trustworthy person doing some of the babysitting, maybe I can let Jimin hang around once in a while when I need to work.”

“Sounds good to me. I’m rather fond of her already.” Kyungsoo bent down to smile at eye-level to Jimin. “Her father isn’t too bad either.”

“Great.” Jongin rest his palm on Kyungsoo’s forearm. “Maybe we can talk about it over coffee sometime?” He suggested. “Going out for professional reasons, obviously.”

“Oh, of course.” Kyungsoo grinned. “How long will you be in Seoul?”

“About a week.” Jongin said. “We can meet up before I head back.”

“I’ll probably leave in about a week too.” Kyungsoo responded. “Watch us be on the same flight.” He laughed. “Also, don’t you think meeting up to discuss babysitting is a little too soon? I don’t even know my schedule yet.”

“Maybe we can go for dinner while we’re both still here then.” Jongin winked at Kyungsoo. “Since, you know, I need to get to know the person I’m letting take care of my daughter.”

“Kim Jongin, are you asking me on a date?” Kyungsoo put a hand on his hip and shifted his weight from one foot to the other.

“Depends what your answer is.” Jongin rubbed Jimin’s back when he felt her stir.

“I would love that.” Kyungsoo beamed. “I know a great restaurant in Gangnam.”

“Great.” Jongin felt for his phone in his pocket before pulling it out and handing it to Kyungsoo. “Go ahead and put your number in. I’ll text you.”

Kyungsoo put his number in Jongin’s phone before handing it back to him.

A taxi approached the two, offering to take them to their destination.

“You go ahead.” Kyungsoo held a palm out to the taxi. “I insist.”

“Thank you.” Jongin squeezed Kyungsoo’s forearm before walking past him to open the back door. Kyungsoo put Jongin’s luggage in the trunk and Jongin sat in the back of the taxi, buckling Jimin into the carseat that was offered to him.

“I’ll see you around, Jongin.” Kyungsoo saluted him. “Bye Jimin!”

Jimin babbled to Kyungsoo and Jongin grinned at the teacher, brushing his hair out of his eyes as he did so. “See you, Kyungsoo. Thanks for keeping me company.”

“I’m your husband after all, aren’t I?” Kyungsoo playfully winked at Jongin before patting the top of the car.

He waved to them once more before the taxi was out of sight.

 

Kyungsoo hummed contently to himself. Not only did the flight go rather smoothly, minus the person kicking his seat, but he also got to sit next to a gorgeous father who happened to live in the same city he was moving to. Life was good.

Kyungsoo leaned against the wall of the building before another taxi approached. He entered and gave the driver instructions to his home before relaxing into the leather seats.

He felt his phone buzz in his pocket.

Kyungsoo pulled out the device and smiled when he saw a number that wasn’t in his contacts messaged him.

_From: Unknown Number_

_It’s Jongin (and Jimin)! Thanks again for keeping us company. Thanks for being an amazing (fake) husband and getting us free drinks, even if it did taste like battery acid._

_Make sure to save my contact!! I look forward to meeting again :)_

 


End file.
